WEBVTT 10:51-"this heats it up, and thelight goes on when it's ready,and you inhale..."In her Urbandale living room, Connie Norgart shows us thvaporizer she uses to inhalecannabis up to three times aday... 2:32-"i volunteer, i'm a good grandma, I do good thingsfor the community..yet I feel like a criminal, and i'm justrying to manage my disease.."Norgart was diagnosed with polioas an infant...and in 1989 wasdiagnosed with post polio syndrome, that started herbattle with pain... 5:43-"...sometimes it can be aconsistent, dull ache...but mostly the stabbing sharp pains and the stiffness of thejoints." A report out today bythe National Academies of Sciences, Engineering anMedicine reviews more than 10 thousand studies on the healtheffects of marijua...researchers found cannabis can RELIEVE SYMPTOMS FOR some patientschronic pain, spasticityassociated with multiplesclerosis and nausea andvomiting associated withchemotherapy treatmentThe most official medical reviewever of the drug also found there is currently NOTsufficient evidence thatcannabis can treat cancer orepilepsy... 7:08-"when the cannabis hitsyour body, you start to feel tpain go away, you know it's there buit's like there's a mask over it." Norgart says withoucannabis her full dose of methodone leaves her groggy and homebound...she says this report's findings legitimize hercontention that the drug cantreat chronic pain. 3:03-"and I hope the legislatorslook at that and think the same thing."

As Iowa legislators once again prepare to tackle the debate over medical marijuana, a comprehensive report released Thursday takes an in-depth look at the health effects of the drug, which could be grounds for more advocacy, said some Iowans.

Connie Norgart uses a vaporizer to inhale cannabis up to three times a day to manage her chronic pain and said she’s black-and-white proof that medical marijuana works.

“This heats it up, and the light goes on when it’s ready. And you inhale,” Norgart said. “I volunteer. I’m a good grandma. I do good things for the community, yet I feel like a criminal. And I’m just trying to manage my disease.”

Norgart was diagnosed with polio as an infant, and in 1989, she was diagnosed with post-polio syndrome, which started her battle with chronic pain.

“Sometimes it can be a consistent, dull ache,” she said, “but mostly the stabbing, sharp pains and the stiffness of the joints.”

A report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine reviewed more than 10,000 studies on the health effects of marijuana, and researchers found cannabis can relieve symptoms for some patients.

This includes chronic pain; spasticity, which is associated with multiple sclerosis; and nausea and vomiting, which are associated with chemotherapy treatment, said Dr. Sachin Patel, associate professor of psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

The most official medical review of the drug also found there is not sufficient evidence that cannabis can treat cancer or epilepsy, Patel said.

“When the cannabis hits your body, you start to feel the pain go away. You know it’s there, but it’s like there’s a mask over it,” Norgart said, adding that without cannabis, her full dose of methodone leaves her groggy and homebound.

She said the report’s findings legitimize her contention that the drug can treat chronic pain and hopes legislators think the same.

An effort to start a medical marijuana program in Iowa stalled last legislative session, but proponents are expected to continue their push this year.